Library Company of Philadelphia

Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions

Receipt Deadline: November 1, 2014

Founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1731, the Library Company was the largest public library in America until the latter part of the 19th century, and it contains printed materials relating to every aspect of American culture and society in that period.

The Library Company now holds over half a million rare books and graphics, including the nation's second largest collection of pre-1801 American imprints and one of the largest collections of 18th-century British books in America. The collections reflect the whole range of early American print culture, including books, pamphlets, and magazines from all parts of the country, as well as books imported from Britain and the Continent. It is especially strong in printed materials relating to the history of women and African-Americans, popular literature, business and economics, popular medicine, philanthropy and reform, education, natural sciences, technology, art, architecture, German Americana, American Judaica, and the history of printing and publishing. The Library Company also holds strong collections of local newspapers and printed ephemera, and its print and photograph collection is rich in images of the Philadelphia region and graphics by local artists. A catalog of rare books and graphics is available through the website.

The Library Company’s Cassatt House fellows’ residence offers rooms at reasonable rates, along with a kitchen, common room, and offices with Internet access. Up to three fellowships of four to nine months each will be awarded, tenable from September 2015 to May 2016.

The National Endowment for the Humanities provides grants to independent centers for advanced study and international research organizations to support fellowship programs for humanities scholars through its Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions (FPIRI). NEH fellowships provide scholars with stipends, a collegial environment, and access to resources that might not be available at their home institutions.

Fellowship programs may be administered by independent centers for advanced study, libraries, and museums in the United States, or American overseas research centers or other organizations that have expertise in promoting research on foreign cultures. The centers and organizations establish their own peer review procedures for the selection of NEH grant recipients and administer the awards. NEH provides funding for humanities fellowships of four to twelve months.

Amount of Award

Amount of the award will vary by the number and length of the fellowships offered by the host institution.

Eligibility

Centers and organizations applying for these grants may not be affiliated with an institution of higher education and must be independently governed, financed, and administered. In addition, they must have a pre-existing fellowship program maintained with non-NEH funding. Eligibility for NEH fellowships at these research institutions is limited to United States citizens and foreign nationals who have been residents in the United States for the three years immediately preceding the application deadline for the grant. NEH research opportunities are intended for persons who have already completed their formal academic training. Consequently, persons seeking support for work in pursuit of a degree are not eligible for NEH fellowships and research grants.